COLUMBUS—State Representative Rick Carfagna (R-Genoa Township) yesterday (Oct. 10) participated in Nationwide Children Hospital’s kick off for On Our Sleeves, a movement designed to raise awareness, break the stigma and conduct groundbreaking research for children’s mental health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among persons aged 15 to 24 years, and the third among persons aged 10 to 14 years. Rep. Carfagna joined Nationwide Children’s Hospital, alongside other state legislators, in front of the Ohio Statehouse on World Mental Health Day to help launch the initiative and start the important conversation surrounding the stigma of mental health issues, especially those that manifest in children. On Our Sleeves was so titled because children “don’t wear their thoughts on their sleeves.” Similar events took place at Easton and the hospital’s campus.

“There’s no question that in order to combat Ohio’s drug epidemic, addressing mental illness needs to be a component for long-term success,” said Carfagna. “The fact is that one in five children are living with a mental illness and less than half of them get the treatment they need. Breaking the stigma of mental illness and highlighting the need for attention to this issue will go a long way toward improving behavioral health in Ohio.”